


Horrible Kids

by Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool



Series: Alphabet Challenge [9]
Category: As It Is (Band), Set It Off (Band), Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Bullying, Claustrophobia, Homophobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 09:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20504735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool/pseuds/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool
Summary: 'Why is it me they're after, couldn't they pick another one'





	Horrible Kids

**Author's Note:**

> Hihi this turned out wayyyy longer than all the other fics in this series idk why don't expect me to keep it up okay? Neat.

Patty and Maxx sat together, talking quietly and holding hands, generally being affectionate while they had the chance. This was their normal morning routine, as they always arrived at school early to get some time to themselves without snide comments or threats of physical violence.

The door swung open, slamming against the wall and making Patty jump. Maxx started pulling away, but stopped when he realised the door had been opened by Awsten, who always had to make a dramatic entrance.

Maxx turned back to Patty and resumed their cuddling, although Patty seemed a little distracted. Maxx could vaguely hear Jawn and Awsten’s conversation, although they didn’t seem to be saying much. He couldn’t see if they were doing anything, as he preferred to be facing Patty, so maybe Awsten was being weird.

He turned around just in time to see Awsten rushing out the room, the door slamming behind him (although this time not on purpose), and Jawn looking a little confused.

“Is everything okay?” Patty asked, shifting a little so he was directed more towards Jawn.

Jawn shrugged, “He’s been real bitchy lately, I dunno. No offence, but it usually happens when he’s around you guys. I don’t know why...”

“Maybe we make him uncomfortable?” Patty suggested quietly, looking a little sad.

Maxx stood up, “No, it’s probably something else. I go speak to him.”

“Good luck,” Jawn said, as Maxx left the room.

It didn’t take long to find Awsten. 

He was outside the toilets, next to the janitor’s closet, surrounded by a small group of slightly older boys jeering at him. Awsten, for his part, was responding well to the comments with biting sarcasm, but was helpless when one of them shoved him against the wall, holding him up by the front of his shirt.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Maxx yelled, stepping forwards.

“I was right!” A blonde guy called out, “The faggots can sense each other!”

A ripple of laughter spread through the group, and Awsten looked like he was about to be sick. Maxx could see his shaking hands from seven feet away.

“What are you gonna do if we don’t?” A different guy said, and the guy holding Awsten up started moving.

Maxx didn’t get the chance to respond, as he was roughly shoved forwards. He spun, ready to punch whoever pushed him, but he was shoved again, and a door shut in his face. He heard the click of a lock and banged on the door, but the only sound was laughter, slowly fading as the group walked away.

He scowled, kicking at the door a little, before the sound of harsh, panicked breathing caught his attention, and he remembered the reason he was there in the first place.

“Awsten? Are you alright?” He got his phone out his pocket and turned on the flashlight, revealing the room was not as large as he’d originally thought, and that Awsten was stood directly in front of him, eyes scrunched closed, fingers tugging at his hair.

“Hey, you’re okay, it’s okay,” Maxx recognised an anxiety attack when he saw one, in fact, he’d seen Awsten have one before. Last time, Otto and Jawn had been there, and had hugged him until he calmed down, but he felt like this was a different situation, and had no idea how to help.

“I’m gonna text Patty, okay? And he’ll come and unlock the door and get us out in five minutes, okay, just five minutes and we’ll be out.”

Awsten nodded, but the movement was stilted and jerky, his breaths now coming in harsh gasps.

Maxx sent a text to Patty, saying what had happened and their location. He then sent another asking him to bring Jawn.

In the five minutes it took Patty to arrive (he hadn’t been lying about that), Maxx had tried everything he could think of to help Awsten calm down, but none of it worked, although he had managed to get Awsten’s hands out his hair to stop him hurting himself, allowing him to have a death grip on Maxx’s hands instead.

Patty opened the door for them, a look of adorable concern on his face when Maxx led a trembling Awsten out of the dark area.

Jawn practically swooped in, shooting Maxx a brief smile of thanks before leading Awsten just to the side.

While Maxx recounted to Patty, in more detail, what had happened, Jawn managed to calm Awsten, bringing him back over.

“So why were those guys bothering you so much?” Maxx asked, not expecting Awsten’s words to tumble out quite as fast as they did.

“They found out about my crush and keep teasing me about and they said they were gonna help me but I didn’t want anything to do with them cuz it’s just a stupid crush and I’ll get over it and then they said they’d out me for being a coward and then you came along and they changed their minds but I have really bad claustrophobia and I’m really really sorry you had to witness that and-“

“Woah, Aws, breathe,” Jawn placed a hand on his shoulder and Awsten took a deep breath, hesitantly looking up from where his gaze had firmly fixed itself on the floor.

Maxx just smiled gently, “Hey, it’s okay. Who’s your crush on anyway? We’ll help you get ‘em.”

Jawn gave him a look that so clearly translated to ‘are you really that dumb?’ that it caught Maxx off guard.

“It’s on you- a-and Patty- which is dumb because you can’t date two people at once and you’re already dating and I shouldn’t have mentioned it I’m sorry-”

It was Patty who spoke this time. “Hey, I stand by what Maxx said. We’ll totally help you get ‘em.”

At Awsten’s confused look, Patty turned to Maxx.

“Hey Maxx, there’s this really cool guy called Awsten who I think you’d be really into.”

Max grinned, “I’ll definitely ask him out. Oh, Patty, there’s this guy I think you’ll really be into. Awsten Knight.”

“Oh he sound really nice, yeah, I think I’ll ask him out.”

Awsten giggled softly, wiping away the remains of his tears. “You guys are nerds. You really both wanna date me?”

“Of course we do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments pls and thnks. Ily <3


End file.
